Gun

ABSTRACT

Gun comprising a gun frame, a barrel supported by the gun frame, a slide, translatable longitudinally in relation to the barrel, and at least a hammer, rotatably mounted with respect to the gun frame so as to move at least a firing pin of said gun towards the barrel. A centreline plane crosses said gun between opposite gun flanks, and the rotation axis of said hammer lies in the centreline plane or is substantially parallel to said plane.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the 35 U.S.C. § 371 national stage application ofPCT Application No. PCT/IB2017/052163, filed Apr. 14, 2017, which isherein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Firing devices in semi-automatic “short recoil” guns usually comprisefloating firing pins, or hammer-operated firing pins. E.g. documentEP2603764 of the same applicant discloses a device of the formercategory.

It is known that firearm with hammer-operated pins suffer from manydrawbacks, and in particular have problems of accidental discharge whenthe weapon is dropped.

The presented gun with its improved hammer system sets out to resolve atleast the aforementioned problems, in particular by proposing a gun witha more secure and reliable rotating hammer system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Such objective is achieved by a gun according to claim 1. The dependentclaims show preferred embodiment variations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in detail, with the help ofthe attached drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1, 2 show respectively a partially cross-sectioned perspectiveview of a slide and frame assembly, and a corresponding perspective viewof a hammer system of the present invention, according to a possibleembodiment;

FIGS. 3, 4 show upper views of a gun of the present invention, accordingto a possible embodiment, wherein the slide is partially sectioned andwherein such figures show different positions of the hammer and of thefiring pin;

FIGS. 5, 6 show longitudinally-sectioned perspective views of a slideand frame assembly of the present invention, in the positionscorresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively;

FIGS. 7, 8 show views of the gun of this invention from a proximal backview, wherein parts of the frame and of the slide are omitted forclarity, in two possible positions of the hammer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the aforementioned drawings, reference numeral 1globally denotes a gun.

According to possible embodiments, gun 1 is a semi-automatic handgun, oran automatic handgun (i.e. suitable for firing volleys of bullets).

According to an embodiment, gun 1 is a short recoil gun.

The gun 1 comprises a gun frame 2, a barrel 4 supported by the gun frame2, a slide 8 translatable longitudinally in relation to the barrel 4 andat least a hammer 10.

In the present description, the expression “longitudinal” will bereferred to a direction X along the barrel 4.

According to an embodiment, the barrel 4 supported by the gun frame 2 ina longitudinally movable manner so as to allow barrel 4 to recoil.

According to an embodiment, the gun 1 comprises a trigger (omitted fromthe drawings) mounted to the gun frame 2 in a rotatable or in atranslatable manner, and configured for being pressed by a user forfiring a bullet.

As shown in FIG. 3, a centreline plane Z crosses the gun 1 betweenopposite gun flanks 14, 16.

In other words, centreline plane Z is a plane dividing the thickness ofgun 1 in two nearly mirror-symmetrical halves.

Hammer 10 is rotatably mounted with respect to the gun frame 2 so as tomove at least a firing pin 12 of the aforesaid gun 1 towards the barrel4, in a distal direction.

Within this patent specification, the term “distal” will be used toindicate the components positioned towards a gun's muzzle 54; on thecontrary, the expression “proximal” will be taken to mean the componentsof the gun positioned near or towards the opposite and backwardextremity 58 of gun 1.

As far as the structure of the barrel 4 is concerned, according to anembodiment it proximally delimits a firing chamber 6. Such chamber isconfigured for at least partially housing a cartridge.

According to an embodiment, firing pin 12 is movable towards the firingchamber 6 by means of a firing device, comprising hammer 10 andactivated by the trigger.

According to an embodiment, the firing pin 12 is housed in the slide 8so as to be movable longitudinally in a slide seat 62.

According to an embodiment, the firing pin 12 crosses an inner wall 64of the slide 8 (through a pin opening 66), thereby being configured toproject towards and within the firing chamber 6.

According to an embodiment, the barrel 4 distally opens towards themuzzle 54, and advantageously delimits an internal rifling 56, forexample clockwise- or anticlockwise-oriented.

According to an embodiment, the slide is 8 slidable/translatablelongitudinally in relation to the barrel 4 between a forwardconfiguration wherein the slide closes the firing chamber 6, and arearward configuration wherein slide 8 is distanced from a proximalmouth 60 of the firing chamber 6, to open the latter.

According to the invention, the rotation axis R of the hammer 10 lies inthe centreline plane Z or is substantially parallel to said plane Z.

According to an embodiment, the barrel 4 extends along the longitudinaldirection X, in a substantially tubular manner.

According to an embodiment, the rotation axis R is substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal direction X.

According to an embodiment, the rotation axis R is substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal direction X in a lateral view, takenfrom one of the gun flanks 14, 16 in an orthogonal direction to thecentreline plane Z.

According to an embodiment, the hammer 10 is integral with the slide 8during the translational movement of the latter.

According to an embodiment, the hammer 10 is hingedly connected to saidslide 8.

According to an embodiment, gun 1 comprises a rotation pin of the hammer10, extending along the rotation axis R and at least partially housed inthe thickness of a slide wall 22.

According to an embodiment, such slide wall 22 is a wall delimiting theslide in an “upward” direction with reference to gun orientation shownin FIG. 1.

According to an embodiment, the slide wall 22 delimits a rotation bore20 wherein the rotation pin 18 is partially inserted, e.g. in arotatable manner.

According to an embodiment, the rotation bore 20 passes completelythrough the thickness of slide wall 22, and is open towards a topsurface 24 of the slide 8 (e.g. so as to enable lubrication operations).

According to an embodiment, the hammer 10 is completely housed within aslide compartment 26 of the slide 8, in each angular position thereof.

According to an embodiment, the slide compartment 26 is delimited atleast in part by the gun frame 2, e.g. in a position opposite to slidewall 22.

According to an embodiment, the slide compartment 26 is delimited byslide wall 22 and by lateral walls 68, 72 of said slide 8, connected andextending from slide wall 22 substantially at right angles.

According to an embodiment, hammer 10 has generically or substantiallythe shape of a solid of revolution.

According to an embodiment, in a plane substantially perpendicular torotation axis R, hammer 10 has a substantially circular cross-section.

According to an embodiment, gun 1 comprises elastic means 28 forcingconstantly the hammer 10 towards a firing position (shown in FIG. 6),and at least a retention member 30 for mechanically retaining the hammer10 in an armed position (shown in FIG. 5) in contrast to the forceexercised by the elastic means 28.

According to an embodiment, retention member 30 is movable by means ofthe trigger for releasing the hammer 10 towards the firing position.

According to an embodiment, in the firing position, the firing pin 12partially projects into the firing chamber 6, whereby orientation ofsuch chamber 6 remains substantially parallel to the longitudinaldirection X in every moment of the firing cycle of the present gun 1.

In other words, in this embodiment the firing chamber does not undergotilting movements as in many prior art firearms.

According to an embodiment, gun 1 comprises elastic means 28 engagedbetween slide 8 and a first engagement element 32 of the hammer 10.

According to an embodiment, the elastic means 28 comprise a helicalspring.

According to an embodiment, the elastic means 28 are in a pre-compressedcondition between the slide 8 and the first engagement element 32.

According to an embodiment, the elastic means 28 comprise oppositeanchoring elements 74, 76 respectively connected to slide 8 and to thefirst engagement element 32.

According to an embodiment, a first anchoring element 74 issubstantially fork-shaped.

According to an embodiment, a first anchoring element 74 is partiallyhoused in the thickness of slide 8, and more precisely within the innerwall 64.

According to an embodiment, a second anchoring element 76 comprises anannular-shaped portion 78 so as to house at least part of the firstengagement element 32.

According to an embodiment, the firing pin 12 is urged by a secondengagement element 34 of the hammer 10 towards the barrel 4.

According to an embodiment, the first 32 and the second 34 engagementelements are eccentrically positioned in relation to the rotation axisR.

According to an embodiment, the first 32 and the second 34 engagementelements project from opposite surfaces 44, 46 of a hammer body 36.

More precisely, said surfaces 44, 46 are located one above and one belowan intermediate orthogonal plane of said body with respect to rotationaxis R.

According to an embodiment, the first 32 and the second 34 engagementelement each comprise an element pin developing substantially parallelto the rotation axis R.

According to an embodiment, the second anchoring element is mountedcoaxially to the element pin making the first engagement element 32.

According to an embodiment, the first engagement element 32 and/or thesecond engagement element 34 are located in a sector-shaped depression48 of the hammer 10 angularly delimited by hammer surfaces 50, 52.

According to an embodiment, rotation of the hammer 10 bringsalternatively one of said hammer surfaces 50, 52 in abutment with (or incorrespondence of) the elastic means 28 and/or in abutment with (or incorrespondence of) the firing pin 12 so as to determine end-strokepositions of the hammer 10.

According to an embodiment, the hammer surfaces 50, 52 extend axiallyalong the rotation axis R.

According to an embodiment, the firing pin 12 comprises a pin body 38connected with the hammer 10, and a pin tip 40 extending distallytowards the barrel 4.

According to an embodiment, pin body 38 and pin tip 40 are made in onepiece of the same material.

According to an embodiment, pin body 38 and hammer 10 are connected bymeans of a cam mechanism.

According to an embodiment, the pin body 38 delimits a pin slot 42wherein the second engagement element 34 or a second element pin ispartially lodged.

According to such embodiment, the surfaces delimiting pin slot 42 makecam surfaces for moving the pin tip 40 towards, and for distancing thepin tip 40 from, the barrel 4.

According to an embodiment, gun 1 comprises a locking device 70 that—inthe forward configuration—secures barrel and slide (in particular inorder to make them together), and that—in the rearward configurationreleases slide 8 to enable an independent (proximal or backward)movement thereof, to open the firing chamber 6.

In other words, locking device 70 is configured for mechanicallyconstraining/releasing barrel and slide, when gun 1 fires a bullet.

According to an embodiment, the locking device 70 could be madeaccording to the teaching of document EP2603764, or of documentPCT/IB2016/052242, both in the name of the same applicant of the presentinvention.

As already mentioned, movement of trigger 10 from the armed position tothe firing position (in a counter-clockwise direction according to FIG.3) is a consequence of the force exercised by the elastic means 28 assoon as hammer 10 is released by the trigger-operated retention member30.

As far as the opposite movement is concerned (that happens after firingthe bullet), and according to a possible embodiment, trigger 10 and gunframe 2 each comprise mating surfaces (not shown) that, when slide 8moves from the backward configuration to the forward configuration,exert a restoring force on the trigger 10 so as to move it in the armedposition against the force of the elastic means 28, in a clockwisedirection according to FIG. 4. In such a position, the retention member30 is once more in a condition to catch the hammer and maintain it inthe armed position.

Innovatively the gun which the present invention relates is suitable forbrilliantly overcoming the mentioned prior art drawbacks.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to isextremely well-balanced thereby maintaining a high level of shootingaccuracy in quick fire, and even in firing volleys for some variants.

Advantageously, the described hammer system makes it possible to reducethe overall dimensions of the firearm and of the slide due to therational positioning of the gun components.

Also, advantageously, the present gun allows to reduce the mechanicalstresses between the moving parts.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to issuitable for being produced in an extremely economical manner.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to allows toreduce vertical forces during firing, thereby improving the overallshooting accuracy.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to allows tomake maintenance operations easier than traditional weapons.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to allows toperform fast maintenance operations without disassembling the gun.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to has ahammer completely housed in the slide, so as to avoid any possibledefective functioning due to the contact with external objects.

Advantageously, the described hammer system has a small inertia, therebyreducing disturbing factors on the shooting accuracy.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to allows toachieve fail-safe positions of the hammer in the armed and in the firingconfigurations.

Advantageously, the gun which the present invention relates to avoidsstriking the firing pin, whereas the latter is smoothly guided in everyposition by the mechanical connection with the hammer.

A person skilled in the art may make variations to the embodiments ofthe gun described above or replace elements with others functionallyequivalent so as to satisfy specific requirements.

Such variations are also contained within the sphere of protection asdefined by the following claims.

Moreover, each of the variants described as belonging to a possibleembodiment may be realised independently of the other variantsdescribed.

1. Gun comprising: a gun frame; a barrel supported by the gun frame; aslide, translatable longitudinally in relation to the barrel; at least ahammer, rotatably mounted with respect to the gun frame so as to move atleast a firing pin of said gun towards the barrel; wherein a centrelineplane crosses said gun between opposite gun flanks; said gun beingcharacterized in that the rotation axis of said hammer lies in thecentreline plane or is substantially parallel to said plane.
 2. Gunaccording to claim 1, wherein the barrel extends along a longitudinaldirection, the rotation axis being substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction.
 3. Gun according to claim 1, wherein the hammeris integral with the slide during the translational movement of thelatter, and is hingedly connected to said slide.
 4. Gun according toclaim 1, comprising a rotation pin of the hammer, extending along therotation axis and at least partially housed in the thickness of a slidewall.
 5. Gun according to the previous claim 4, wherein the slide walldelimits a rotation bore wherein the rotation pin is partially inserted,said bore passing completely through the thickness of said wall andbeing open towards a top surface of the slide, e.g. so as to enablelubrication operations.
 6. Gun according to claim 1, wherein the hammeris completely housed within a slide compartment of the slide, in eachangular position thereof, said compartment being delimited at least inpart by the gun frame.
 7. Gun according to claim 1, wherein the hammerhas generically or substantially the shape of a solid of revolution. 8.Gun according to claim 1, comprising elastic means forcing constantlythe hammer towards a firing position, and at least a retention memberfor mechanically retaining the hammer in an armed position in contrastto the force exercised by the elastic means, said retention member beingmovable by means of a trigger for releasing said hammer towards thefiring position.
 9. Gun according to claim 1, comprising elastic meansengaged between the slide and a first engagement element of the hammer,and wherein the firing pin is urged by a second engagement element ofthe hammer towards the barrel.
 10. Gun according claim 9, wherein thefirst and the second engagement elements are eccentrically positioned inrelation to the rotation axis.
 11. Gun according to claim 9, wherein thefirst and the second engagement elements project from opposite surfacesof a hammer body, said surfaces being located one above and one below anintermediate orthogonal plane of said body with respect to the rotationaxis.
 12. Gun according to claim 9, wherein the first and the secondengagement element each comprise an element pin developing substantiallyparallel to the rotation axis.
 13. Gun according to claim 9, wherein thefirst engagement element and/or the second engagement element arelocated in a sector-shaped depression of the hammer angularly delimitedby hammer surfaces, rotation of the hammer bringing alternatively one ofsaid surfaces in abutment with the elastic means and/or with the firingpin so as to determine end-stroke positions of the hammer.
 14. Gunaccording to claim 13, wherein the hammer surfaces extend axially alongthe rotation axis.
 15. Gun according to claim 1, wherein the firing pincomprises a pin body connected with the hammer, and a pin tips extendingdistally towards the barrel, the pin body and the hammer being connectedby means of a cam mechanism.
 16. Gun according to claim 15, wherein thepin body delimits a pin slot wherein the second engagement element or asecond element pin is partially lodged, and wherein the surfacesdelimiting said slot make cam surfaces for moving the pin tip towards,and for distancing the pin tips from, the barrel.
 17. Gun according toclaim 8, wherein the barrel proximally delimits a firing chamber andwherein, in the firing position, the firing pin partially projects intosaid chamber, orientation of the firing chamber being substantiallyparallel to a longitudinal direction in every moment of the firing cycleof said gun.
 18. Gun according to claim 1, characterized by the fact ofbeing a semi-automatic or an automatic handgun.